I used to drive an EP3 w/ 5MT, and now I drive a GE w/ 5AT paddle shift. I have no plans racing or doing any engine tuning/swap with this car, thats why I specifically chose 5AT. The paddle shifter and S mode is pretty cool, its *kinda* like driving a stick, but w/o the hassle.

For now, my GE is my daily, but my next car will either be a GTI or any other car equipped with twin-clutch. (need to build my credit a bit more... )

I'm tired of shifting with stick! :P

 

wow.....
that's all i can say

 

Manual FTW. Colorado = snow + mountains, so extra control is a must. Plus I just feel cooler driving it

 

I traded my '05 Odyssey Touring for a SSM Fit Sport (MT) minus the NAVI, 2 Tuesday's ago. I am lovin' this car. I also have a '95 Civic DX Coupe and that has a stick. The Ody had alot of bells'n whistles but they only came in auto and was kinda ho-hum about the drive. With the fit, it's my 1st Honda w/power steering and a 5speed, not to mention the killer MPG I'm gettin' vs. my Ody. I'm not quite sure this 37 year old should be havin' this much fun runnin' errands. This may very well be the best Honda I've ever driven (my 8th). Yes, I think there is somethin' to the whole "control freak" aspect and a manual tranny.

 

No need to hate.

 

I picked up a lot of negativity towards the AT here. In this thread. Like not knowing how to drive a stick or not really caring about relating directly to the car itself.

I am pretty sure I mentioned the biggest reason why I HAD to go for the automatic, and whatever car I would have chosen would have had to have an automatic.

I have a spine problem. It has to do with the nerves in the back being irritated and pinched and really hurts. It mostly affects the left side, the left leg, and can send shooting pains down the leg to the foot. It seems to be affected by sitting and trying to lift that left leg...as in trying to engage the clutch.

Driving shouldn't be painful. So I was looking for automatics with good mileage. Hybrids were more expensive than I wanted to spend money on. And that narrowed down the lot to a very few cars. Smart car. Fit.

I looked at warranty then, and dependability. That kind of shoved the Smart way back. Then there's all the neat stuff the Fit can do with those seats. And it has good resale value.

If you start talking about disabled people, you'll find that in general, we mostly want to be able to get around. And for a lot of people, that means an automatic, out of necessity.

If you break an arm, you won't be driving a stick. My neighbor with two prosthetic arms and one prosthetic leg does not drive a stick. My friend with the bad carpal tunnel in her wrists necessitating wrist braces much of the time, does not drive a stick.

 

there's nothing wrong with driving an automatic, people have their reasons for doing so. My fit is A/T. However, I think most people would agree that a manual transmission gives the driver more of a connection to the car. For those who want more performance, a manual is often best. For those who want comfort or ease of use, an auto is often a good choice. Each person must decide what is right for him or her.

 

I wouldn't get an AT w/o paddle shifter though, I found D mode too boring, but its okay if your just cruising around. With S mode, the ability to shift at your own discretion is nice and handy. Its also nice to shift at lower rpm to save even more gas.

 

It must be French.

Manual keeps me occupied and alert.

 

I agree, I guess. I thought about it for awhile. And remembered my first drive in the new FIT on the way home. Thinking to myself "Wow...I don't have to DO anything, the car just goes by itself".

Especially since the STEERING was so much more responsive. There were no blind spots. It wasn't all noisy and rattly. It was as if the car didn't need me to help it much at all. It didn't need direction. And that is what was needed so much in the VW. It needed constant attention, just to get it to go where I wanted it to go. It required being shifted.

I don't want to devote that much energy to the car these days. Not with shifting. Not with high maintenance vehicles. Not with hard to find parts or dealers.

I still try to do something with my painful left leg. I have to consciously THINK that the left leg can just rest there, off to the side.

Yes, I did enjoy the spirited exchange, the melding of driver and auto with the stick. Even with low horsepower jewels like my mid-70's MG. Or the dd I had briefly, a 4-speed CVCC (also mid-70's). It was fun. It was zippy.

But it ceases being fun and zippy in that oh-so-familair bumper to bumper, inch along commute or accident traffic. You will know what I mean when I say "Am I EVER going to be able to drive out of first gear????"

When it picks up just a little so that you can get out of first gear, and then the traffic stalls. That's how it was in my old VW. In and out with the clutch. Coasting. Trying not to roll back on slight inclines. Finally lurching forward, and winding out first gear, or lugging and chugging in second.

That's specific to cities and commute traffic. And shifting wouldn't be such a burden on my back if it wasn't required so often in this kind of traffic.

There are tons of driving situations in which an auto wouldn't be nearly as practical as a manual. Those inclines where you have to go a certain speed, you can select a gear and know it will get you where you need to go. On the automatic, it's shifting all over. Up down up down...and now it's the reverse problem from that stick in the city. The car is shifting and not giving the power to the user when the user needs it.

Mountainous roads can be better going downhill with a stick, the engine can help slow you, by choosing a lower gear.

If you have wide open highway, either stick or manual works well, because neither has to be fussed over once you've reached a certain speed. You can just DRIVE.

The last car my mum had before dying was a stick, CRX Si, into her 80's. So not all older people choose manual. Although, I bet she would have loved the FIT. And I bet she would have had one too, if it had been available back then when she bought the CRX Si.

She made those Costco trips. What better car is there than the FIT for a Costco trip? Every part of the vehicle is within reaching distance. From the back hatch and from the side doors.

And that is something we all have in common, the great interior layout. No matter what we use it for, or what kind of options or transmissions or colors we like the best.

 

Did you get your dent taken care of?

 

Yes, its been fixed perfectly by the PDR specialist from the dealer and it only took about 30-45mins. I did get a bit worried when I heard all the banging noise, but that procedure was necessary and normal.

 

Excellent! Glad to hear they fixed it and that it's a perfect fix.

 

More of a connection to the car in what way? I guess paying attention to what gear you are in makes you love the car even more. . . psssh. I love my fit to death. Before I owned this car I owned a saturn AT, and before that I owned a 1979 Datsun 280zx MT. I have to say that MT keeps you more alert of the driving process, but AT is definitely better if you are just looking to cruise and appreciate the drive in my opinion. A lot of people who drive MT are looking to save a little money because AT's are more expensive. I personally will never go back to manual transmission unless I purchase a serious sports car (see: Nissan GT-R). If you have a manual fit then more power to you, but what purpose does it serve if you are not looking to race? I guess it gives you a closer connection LOL.

 

Manual is the only way to go!

 

I bought an AT when I first decided to trade in my S so my wife could drive it. I thought I was done modifying cars, at least for a while. Manual is awesome, I love it and it's weird not having one, but the Fit is by no means a performance car the "purist" "stick is better and automatic sucks" mentality is kind of silly in this little world. S mode is kind of silly, too. It's there to make guys like me feel better. A TL-S reminded me of how slow this car really is thins morning.

 

I would be interested in hearing feedback from AT drivers about their experience with the paddle shifts in comparison with driving a MT. I've only driven one for a few minutes so don't have a good feel for them. Re: "more of a connection" with the car. Maybe again it's just a personal thing, but I feel in more control with a manual. I control the shifts, when/where/how, no surprises, especially in snow. It's also more fun for me to drive.

 

It's nothing close to driving a manual, there is no clutch pedal to modulate so the degree of driver input is limited to a video game-ish feel. Plus all it does is make the loud exhaust louder.

 

thats an AT

 

there nice but all in all there pointless to have... but other people are wow its a fit (insert G@Y commit here) than they see the paddle shifters and are wow that's bad ass my 350Z dont have that....